I'm Futurist Dr. Stan Schatt --Ask Me Anything!

a reply to: knightswan
Do I believe that the 1% have some common goals and collaborate on certain things? Do they have inordinate power now in controlling the world's
economy? Sure, but I'm inclined not to believe in the concept of a continuing conspiracy going back as long as advocates of the New World Order
believe. I don't believe any such alliance would be based on a common religion but on self-interest.

Thank you for giving us some of your valuable time! It is a real pleasure to read through some of your answers.

My question is about nanotechnology. I have followed it for years and it seems to be the holy grail of many different technologies. It seems under the
right circumstances, nanotechnology can accomplish anything, from patrolling the human body for diseases, to rebuilding tissue after a gun shot in
mere minutes. From making your house into a potable transformer to fully utilizing periodic elements as building blocks in a 3D printer. It seems
anything and everything will be possible in the near future. If everyone had a nanobot 3D printer that could alter hydrogen atoms into any other
element by changing it's subatomic structure, do you think the implications would be dire, or enlightening?

a reply to: CharlieSpeirs
I think the reason some scientists are trying to develop a first contact plan is that the more primitive race has fared so poorly in previous first
contact scenarios. I do think, sometimes, that one hand doesn't know what the other hand is doing. As I wrote in my new book, the SETI people are
planning for a first contact while some government folks might already have engineered such a meeting. I do think that all the mass media focus on the
possibilities of a first contact as well as increased UFO sightings suggests to me that maybe there is a concerted effort to prepare the general
public for what government already knows.

Hey Dr Schatt thank you for the time and paitience how are your feelings about the rising methane levels do you feel towards methane causing global
Warming, And what are your sentiments to yellowstone do you see an eruption in the next decade or so???

a reply to: nonspecific
The more I think about it, the more I think that major breakthroughs are as likely to come through increased use of senses we don't use enough. Take
sight as an example. Some people "see" things others don't. Are they nuts? Maybe some are, but remember that all of our senses operate within
ranges. Some people have a greater spectrum in which to view life. Similarly, we have other senses that haven't been explored enough except by
mystics. I think a lot of what we call the paranormal might be explained by science several decades by now when we start to utilize more of what we
have inside us.

As far as thinking up technology in SF novels that result in actual products, I haven't done that as of yet because most of my work has focused more
on other issues like differences in morality, ethics, psychology, etc. You'll notice that the percentage of SF novels that focus on "hard" science
have declined in recent years. It's tough to write a good story if characters have to spend a lot of time explaining technology. You have to try to
explain the technology obliquely, perhaps the way Peter Hamilton does.

a reply to: ATF1886
Yeah, I'm concerned. I can understand why wealthy people who are heavily invested in industries that pollute would want to convince people that
climate change is a lie, but it's disturbing how gullible people are in accepting something when they see pictures showing major changes in ice
packs, rising water level, etc.

As far as Yellowstone, I understand things are heating up there. An eruption could bring about nuclear winter, so, yeah, it's a concern, but I don't
think there's anything we could do about it.

a reply to: Indigent
I think the UFOs are alien technology and not some kind of super secret human technology. Now, we believe such craft use magnetic fields, so that
might lead our scientists toward research that could result in our own planes that use such technology, but I think that's quite a ways off.

a reply to: Guyfriday
The question you ask could just as easily be asked about God-- That's what people sometimes refer to as God as the great clockmaker who starts a
clock and then leaves. To answer your question, there are several theories why an alien race might seed us and then leave: They might not want to
interfere with our development for experimental reasons, they might have us quarantined for other reasons, or perhaps something happened to them as a
race. Why do people supposedly have children? The answer is to become immortal through their children. A race might seed lots of worlds via probes. It
might prove to be economically and practically impossible to follow up with manned ships to check up on how the "seeds" are growing.

a reply to: knightswan
A world government might help us when facing aliens because we would speak with one voice and react militarily with one coordinated force. The problem
is that I don't see any countries willing to cede their independence and power to a world body. Look what's happening to the EU. It's de-evolving.
So, I agree with Gates that in theory it would be a good idea, but who wants to go first?

Hi there, thanks for joining us and literally "spending" your time here.

What is your future prediction in regards to humans and water. We need it for life in all regards; drinking, washing, bathing, cleaning, etc. etc. We
are a water planet, yet cities like Las Vegas, Sao Paulo and others are going dry, along with many other populating areas that don't have natural
water sources or reserves to support the population.

So the question is the first sentence, how will water factor into the future in your opinion?

if contact is established with ebe's and from the outset they show utter distain for the leadership of the planet,
yet compassion for humanity as a whole bearing in mind observation or field studies already undertaken.

the assumption being that control and power down here on earth does not make a good bedfellow with any type of ebe as they may be beyond
materialistic/power trappings.

the assumption that the entities can read any mind within eyesight and know the deepest of thoughts.

with the above considered how will the various powers on earth react to this and do you think they would be prepared for an ultimatum that includes
their stability of tenureship negated?

will the earthly powers go down fighting to try and keep the current status?

in advance of any reply, many thanks for your attendance on the board.
regards fakedirt.

Thanks for the time doing this AMA! Keep your book link because you have some good books people should consider reading.

I wonder your thoughts on manipulating human DNA. The tech seems to be there right now to start eliminating genetic causes for debilitating diseases
for our children. Will governments eventually be forced to adopt genetic 'correction' to keep medical costs down?

1. I see the chances that a non-terrestrial, non-human aliens who might encounter us to be benign to be very small, with lots of chances for a variety
of reasons to be not beneficial or downright harmful. What is your take on the danger, as Hawking says of 'not keeping our heads down' (WRT SETI).
Hostile aliens - low or high probability.

2. Do you believe anything Col. Corso said in his book 'The Day After Roswell'. A lot of people think he's making up 'stories' out of whole cloth.
What do you think?

a reply to: Cogidubnus
Nanotechnology has enormous potential benefits in manufacturing as well as in medicine. Unfortunately, people have lost fortunes "betting" on
companies. Every year it is proclaimed to be the next breakthrough technology, and each year the results are promising to a point. I think ultimately
it will achieve its potential.

As far as the 3D angle, I wrote an entire book not he subject--One geared to investors. Imagine a few years from now being able to download a
schematic to replace any part that goes bad. Your 3D printer would produce the part. Need a prescription filled, your doctor could send you the
"formula" and your 3D printer could print out the medicine. Of course that's way out in the future because of all kinds of issues like quality
control, etc.

Someday we should be able to produce virtually anything using our 3D printer. It would be like the replicator in Star Trek movies. Hopefully we'll
start to see much faster, cheaper models so that producing a small object won't take hours.

a reply to: Maverick7
Unfortunately I think some of the SETI scientists are much too optimistic about alien benevolence. I don't believe that just because an alien race
could develop technology to make it a space traveler means that it isn't aggressive. In fact, I'd argue that aggressiveness is a key part of a
race's evolution, expansion, and survival. In my new book I suggest that one logical outcome of a first contact is that we could meet alien
missionaries. If so, why should we believe anything they tell us, based on on our race's history of first contacts.

As far as Corso I honestly don't know. When I taught college at the University of Houston, I had a student who told me that his father had worked at
an Air Force base. He saw all kinds of strange things being transported there from the Roswell area. Everything was tightly segregated so that airman
worked on only a small part. So, for example, someone might just be testing the melting point of a piece of metal.

The fact that this student told me something his father told him in confidence makes me suspect that it was far more than a weather balloon that
crashed in Roswell.

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